‘The Good Wife’ Recap: Season 5, Episode 14, ‘A Few Words’

Alicia Florrick is giving the biggest speech of her life. Nah, she’s just delivering the keynote address at the American Bar Association on tonight’s “The Good Wife.”

Oh, last week, a commenter asked why the NSA was tapping Alicia and the gang. If you stretch back, way way back to October, they started tapping her when she represented a guy suspected of terrorism. The episode was titled “The Bit Bucket” if you want to refresh.

Why are they still tapping everyone’s phones? That’s unclear except the NSA seems to need no actual reason, right?

Cary tells Alicia not to give a speech but to tell her story. She’s having a pretty hard time with the speech. As she’s writing, she remembers interviewing at firms right after the whole Peter Florrick cheated on her with prostitutes thing and how no one would hire her because of her last name.
She’s remembering how she ran into Will and how he offered her a job.

Clarke Hayden (Nathan Lane) is trapped in traffic so Alicia and Cary are meeting with a potential super-rich client, who is waiting down in the lobby. She’s also meeting with Diana and Will. I guess Alicia and Cary get there too late because “the rainmaker” blows them off.

The Office of Public Integrity is still hounding Will and is threatening to subpoena him over the voter fraud.

Elsbeth, the kooky redhead, is also speaking at the meeting. Who doesn’t love Elsbeth! Will asks her to represent him in the voter fraud issue.

Everyone is talking about the upcoming keynote. Alicia is freaking out.

She’s remembering when she tried to get back into law and no one would hire her because of her husband.
During her first interview with Will, lo five seasons ago, she reminds Will that her name could hurt her and it’s been 13 years since she practiced law. She remembers sitting next to Cary who was also competing for the job. He was cocky and she was poor but entitled.

Cary asks her who she’d hire today. She says she’d hire Cary and he agrees.

Elsbeth warns the guy from the Office of Public Integrity to leave Will alone. He says he’ll do whatever to get Peter and she gets that on tape. Love her!

Time for Alicia to speak. Her speech is titled “Opting Back In.” She reminisces fondly about her interview with Will. As she talks, he remembers her interview too. Diane didn’t want to hire her. Will had Kalinda check her out and her old firm said Alicia lacked “a killer instinct.”

In the middle of her speech, people start fleeing because of a hostile takeover somewhere. Afterwards, both she and Will end up at the diner across the street in different booths.

Alicia asks Will why he hates her. He says he doesn’t hate her but he doesn’t like her because she spent three weeks planning to leave the firm. She tells him that the two of them could never make it work. He says it’s not about their relationship, but he’s going to fight her on every client. They shake hands on it.

The big rainmaker decides she wants to meet Alicia now, and Alicia’s had a few drinks.

As Will walks back into the hotel, Jim Moody walks in – he’s the guy who works with Eli Gold. He says they two of them should have the same story, but Will says they can’t talk to each other and to go away.

The rainmaker asks if Alicia was happy at Lockheart/Gardner. Alicia says yes, they let her learn and grow. The rainmaker then asks Alicia what she wants and Alicia says she wants a happy life and to control her fate. Mmmm says the rainmaker and walks away. All righty then.

We’re now at the ABA after-party and Elsbeth is singing “High Hopes” and not well. She says she’s inspired by New York City. Elsbeth says she is starting a two person firm with the rainmaker.

We’re back with the Office of Public Integrity guy. He has a video of Jim Moody talking to Will but there’s no audio. Public Integrity guy tells Will to give up Peter Florrick.

In the world of irony, the original person who wouldn’t hire Alicia because of her husband’s name runs into her in the lobby and asks her to come in for a job chat. Alicia says no thanks.
Next week: Brace yourself for more grilling of Alicia and Will about their past relationship in order to get to Peter.